Two-Thirds of RDSP Money Goes Unclaimed: How Ottawa's $70,000 Disability Benefit Actually Works

 

Published August 19, 2026

Of the 311,000 active Registered Disability Savings Plans opened since the program launched in 2008, Canadians have contributed $3.3 billion — and Ottawa has matched that with $5.1 billion in grants and $2.1 billion in bonds, according to figures reported by BNN Bloomberg on Wednesday. That sounds like a program working as intended. It isn't. The same report cites the latest Statistics Canada tally showing that two-thirds of the government money set aside for the RDSP goes unclaimed every year, largely because eligible Canadians don't know the plan exists.

If you or someone in your family is approved for the Disability Tax Credit, this is one of the highest-value accounts the federal government offers — richer, dollar for dollar, than the RRSP, the TFSA, or the RESP. Here's how the math actually works, and what it takes to claim your share.

Who qualifies

Anyone approved for the Disability Tax Credit (DTC) — via CRA Form T2201, certified by a medical practitioner — can have an RDSP opened in their name. There's no income cut-off to open one; income only affects how much grant and bond money you receive. Contributions can be made until the end of the year the beneficiary turns 59, and anyone can contribute with the account holder's written permission.

The grant: up to $3 for every $1 you put in

The Canada Disability Savings Grant matches contributions on a sliding scale tied to family income, indexed annually by the CRA. For 2026, based on the family income reported on your 2024 tax return:

Family income	Matching rate	To get the max grant
$117,045 or less	$3 per $1 on the first $500, $2 per $1 on the next $1,000	Contribute $1,500 → get $3,500
Above $117,045	$1 per $1 on the first $1,000	Contribute $1,000 → get $1,000

The maximum grant is $3,500 a year, with a lifetime cap of $70,000. Grants are paid on contributions made until the end of the year the beneficiary turns 49, and land in the account within six to eight weeks.

The bond: money for lower-income households, no contribution required

The Canada Disability Savings Bond doesn't require you to put in a cent. For 2026:

• Family income at or below $38,237: the government deposits $1,000 a year automatically.
• Between $38,237 and $58,523: the bond phases out on a sliding scale.
• At or above $58,523: no bond.

The bond maxes out at $20,000 over a lifetime.

What it means for you

A modest-income family that contributes $1,500 in a year can receive $3,500 in grant plus up to $1,000 in bond — $4,500 in free government money on a $1,500 outlay, deposited into an account that grows tax-deferred. Compare that with the RESP's Canada Education Savings Grant, which matches at 20% (up to $500 a year, $7,200 lifetime). The RDSP's matching rate can run as high as 300%.

You can catch up on the last 10 years

If you were DTC-approved in past years but didn't open an RDSP — or had one but couldn't contribute the maximum — that unused grant and bond room carries forward for up to 10 years. Catch-up grants are capped at $10,500 in any single year; catch-up bonds can add up to $11,000 in your first year (up to $1,000 for each of the past 10 years, plus the current year). Every plan holder gets a Statement of Entitlement each February showing exactly how much they're still eligible to claim.

The catch: a 10-year holding rule

Money withdrawn within 10 years of the last grant or bond deposit triggers a proportional repayment of government money — this is the plan's main trade-off against RRSPs and TFSAs, and it's worth understanding before you contribute if you might need the funds sooner. For long-term saving, though, the tax-deferred growth on top of the matching makes the RDSP hard to beat.

How to open one

Start with the Disability Tax Credit application (Form T2201) if you don't already have DTC approval — that's the prerequisite for everything else. From there, most major banks and credit unions can open an RDSP, though awareness varies widely by branch. A small number of firms, including Montreal-based Terry Capital, now specialize exclusively in RDSPs and have recently expanded into Ontario, Alberta, and B.C. to help close the awareness gap Statistics Canada has flagged.

This is one to check today if you or a family member has DTC approval and no RDSP — or has an RDSP but hasn't confirmed whether past years' grant and bond room is still on the table.